Expandable stent
First Claim
1. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected solely by a set of linkages axially spaced from one another and each including a plurality of links connected to one another, adjacent links of said linkages being angularly disposed relative to one another such that a radial force causes relative rotation between adjacent links and plastic deformation thereof to permit radial expansion of said stent, said struts inhibiting relative axial movement between said linkages and foreshortening of said body and said struts remaining in substantially parallel relationship with said longitudinal axis upon radial expansion of said stent and wherein all of said sets of linkages are unidirectionally facing with one of said links of each linkage being offset axially from the connection of said linkage to said struts in a common direction.
1 Assignment
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Accused Products
Abstract
A stent has a tubular body with longitudinal struts interconnected by multi-bar linkages. The struts inhibit foreshortening of the body and relative rotation between the links in the linkages permits radial expansion. The links are plastically deformed as they are expanded to maintain the expanded diameter.
284 Citations
61 Claims
- 1. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected solely by a set of linkages axially spaced from one another and each including a plurality of links connected to one another, adjacent links of said linkages being angularly disposed relative to one another such that a radial force causes relative rotation between adjacent links and plastic deformation thereof to permit radial expansion of said stent, said struts inhibiting relative axial movement between said linkages and foreshortening of said body and said struts remaining in substantially parallel relationship with said longitudinal axis upon radial expansion of said stent and wherein all of said sets of linkages are unidirectionally facing with one of said links of each linkage being offset axially from the connection of said linkage to said struts in a common direction.
- 15. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected by a plurality of linkages axially spaced from one another and each including a plurality of links connected to one another, adjacent links of said linkages being angularly disposed relative to one another such that a radial force causes relative rotation between adjacent links and plastic deformation thereof to permit radial expansion of said stent, said struts inhibiting relative axial movement between said linkages and foreshortening of said body wherein each of said linkages comprises an opposing pair of first circumferentially extending links connected at one end to said struts and connected at an opposite end to axially extending links, said axially extending links being connected to each other by a second circumferentially extending link axially spaced from said first circumferentially extending links, and wherein said axially extending links and said first and second circumferentially extending links are enlarged at their intersections to provide pairs of spaced hinges at each connection thereof.
- 24. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending along the entire length of and parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected by a plurality of linkages axially spaced from one another and each including a plurality of links connected to one another, adjacent links of said linkages being angularly disposed relative to one another such that a radial force causes relative rotation between adjacent links and plastic deformation thereof to permit radial expansion of said stent, said struts inhibiting relative axial movement between said linkages and foreshortening of said body, wherein selected ones of said struts are discontinuous thereby providing a plurality of gaps along the length thereof, the axial location of said gaps being staggered about the circumference of said body whereby relative axial movement between said linkages is inhibited by struts circumferentially spaced from and axially aligned with said gaps, and wherein selected ones of said struts have a reduced cross-section and are arranged such that a gap and a strut with a reduced cross-section lie in a common plane orthogonal to the longitudinal axis of said body.
- 33. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected by a plurality of linkages axially spaced from one another and each including a plurality of links connected to one another, adjacent links of said linkages being angularly disposed relative to one another such that a radial force causes relative rotation between adjacent links and plastic deformation thereof to permit radial expansion of said stent, said struts inhibiting relative axial movement between said linkages and foreshortening of said body and said struts remaining in parallel relationship with said longitudinal axis upon radial expansion of said stent and wherein the intersection of at least one pair of adjacent links of each said linkages has a zone of relative weakness adjacent to but spaced from said intersection to provide a pair of spaced hinge points, whereby relative rotation between said at least one pair of links is distributed between said hinge points.
- 36. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected by a plurality of linkages axially spaced from one another and each including a plurality of links connected to one another, adjacent links of said linkages being angularly disposed relative to one another such that a radial force causes relative rotation between adjacent links and plastic deformation thereof to permit radial expansion of said stent, said struts inhibiting relative axial movement between said linkages and foreshortening of said body, wherein selected ones of said struts are discontinuous thereby providing a plurality of gaps along the length thereof, the axial location of said gaps being staggered about the circumference of said body whereby relative axial movement between said linkages is inhibited by struts circumferentially spaced from and axially aligned with said gaps, and wherein said gaps are configured to provide only a pair of diametrically aligned struts at selected ones of said axial locations to facilitate flexure of said stent.
- 41. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected solely by a set of linkages axially spaced from one another and defining a predetermined space between adjacent pairs of said struts, all of said sets of linkages being unidirectionally facing and each having a plurality of links angularly disposed relative to one another in an unexpanded condition such that when a radial force is exerted on said tubular body, relative rotation between adjacent links and plastic deformation occurs, thereby increasing said space between said adjacent pairs of sad struts and permitting radial expansion of said stent, said struts inhibiting relative axial movement between said linkages and foreshortening of said body.
- 51. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected by a plurality of linkages, each of said linkages having a plurality of links angularly disposed relative to one another and including a pair of axially extending links connected to respective ones of said struts and interconnected to one another at a location spaced axially from their respective connections to said struts, said linkage including at least a pair of links having a portion of reduced cross-section to provide at least three hinge points spaced apart along said linkage and disposed to permit rotation of each of said axially extending links relative to said struts upon application of a radial load to said stent.
- 58. A stent having a generally tubular body with a plurality of circumferentially spaced longitudinal struts extending parallel to a longitudinal axis of said body, circumferentially adjacent pairs of said struts being interconnected by a plurality of linkages, each of said linkages having a plurality of links angularly disposed relative to one another and including a pair of axially extending links connected to respective ones of said struts and interconnected to one another by a circumferentially extending link, at least a portion of said circumferentially extending link having a reduced cross-section to provide a pair of circumferentially spaced hinge points which, in conjunction with an additional pair of hinge points disposed on said linkage, permit rotation of said axially extending links relative to said circumferentially extending link upon application of a radial load to said body to expand said body.
Specification